Aston Martin | Vanquish | Overview The Ultimate Aston Martin 2013 marked a century of Aston Martin. A century of producing the most beautiful and desirable cars in the world. We knew our centenary demanded something special. Our mission was to produce the greatest Aston Martin in history, a new flagship to lead us into our second century. With the most advanced engineering, the most beautiful design and the finest materials, we created the ultimate Aston Martin. We created Vanquish. View Vanquish Multimedia Our Greatest GT Engine Vanquish is equipped with the AM29 V12 engine – the most powerful GT production engine in Aston Martin history. 568 bhp of power. 201 mph top speed. 0-60mph in just 3.6 secs. Vanquish has the greatest performance numbers ever reached in an Aston Martin, it’s not a Grand Tourer, it’s a Super Grand Tourer. Twelve to the Power of Eight Harnessing the power of AM29 is Touchtronic III ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. Touchtronic III sets new standards for performance and shift speed.

With eight gears produced by four gear sets and five shift elements - always operating at their optimum level - you’ll experience exceptional shift quality and even faster acceleration. 568 bhp of power. Eight gears shifting in just 130 milliseconds. Vanquish is honed for a truly remarkable driving experience. Introducing AMi III The new AMi III infotainment system is the control centre for Vanquish. Housed within the stunning waterfall fascia, AMi III seamlessly integrates audio, hands-free telephony and vehicle status technologies at the heart of your cabin. New for 2017, an upgraded Satellite Navigation system brings a range of menu and user improvements such as quicker address input, advanced traffic information, and the support for Apple CarPlay (coming soon). Learn about AMi III Revolutionary Engineering Clothing an engine of such immense power required a body of phenomenal rigidity and razor-sharp agility. There was only one material we could use to achieve this level of performance – aerospace engineered carbon-fibre. We didn’t compromise. Every body-panel is constructed from the most advanced carbon available, producing a staggering strength-to-weight ratio and ensuring Vanquish is the pinnacle of a century of engineering expertise. Luxury redefined.

Our finest interior This is the most luxurious interior we’ve ever produced. A unique Vanquish design combines the widest choice of materials and finishes ever created for a GT. All new ergonomic interior environment groupings and carbon fibre interior finishes. Contrasting seat accent colours and unique hour-glass stitching. A million stitches go into every Vanquish, along with over 100 years of history. Learn More on Vanquish Design Brochure The Aston Martin Vanquish brochure is available to download in PDF format or purchase online. This hardcover, 52 page brochure provides further imagery and insight on our ultimate Grand Tourer. 2013 Aston Martin Vanquish First Drive – Review – Car and Driver TWEET England can feel like the land that time forgot. The quaint villages dotting the countryside are short Sunday strolls apart, the roads connecting them no wider or smoother than necessary for horse-drawn carts. Ask a woman her weight, and she’ll give it to you in stone before slapping you. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that Aston Martin can sometimes seem like the car company that time forgot.

Replacing the DBS for 2013 as Aston’s sportiest, most expensive offering, the Vanquish wears styling that is directly, obviously traceable to the 1994 DB7. Behind the familiar face rests a 5.9-liter V-12 that debuted in 2000 and a central architecture dating to the 2004 DB9. This is not to suggest, however, that Aston is sitting completely still. Although the aluminum structure remains largely the same as the DBS’s (and DB9’s and Vantage’s and Rapide’s), the front-end structure is significantly lighter and is redesigned to allow the engine to mount 0.7 inch lower than in the DBS. Every body panel is new and now made of carbon fiber, contributing to a 25-percent increase in torsional rigidity and a weight reduction of about 150 pounds, according to the manufacturer. Still, figure on a curb weight of about 3850 pounds.

Updating the big V-12 with variable timing on both the intake and exhaust cams (now hollow), larger throttle bodies, a revised intake manifold, and a few other tweaks bumps output from the DBS’s 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque to 565 and 457, respectively. Aston Martin still describes the Vanquish as a grand tourer, but a sporty grand tourer—the more laid-back being the DB9. The ride is quite firm, tending more toward sports-car stiff than GT supple. On smooth roads, the unyielding suspension contributes to surprising nimbleness and neutrality. Over rough tarmac, the Vanquish maintains its composure even in fast, lumpy corners, only—but readily—getting squirrelly with a midcorner throttle kick. The dampers offer three settings—normal, sport, and track—but even in normal, there’s hardly more body roll than there would be if the axles bolted directly to the subframes. And “track” is a rare bit of truth in advertising; nobody will ever want to use it anywhere else. Hydraulic steering assist survives in the Vanquish.

It’s a nice reminder of the way things still are in fewer and fewer cars. Quick, with a sporting but restrained weight that builds nicely in proportion to cornering forces, the rack allows appropriate feedback for something that its maker is unwilling to call a sports car, but the line goes a bit fuzzy at the limit. We do dig the available squared-off steering wheel, borrowed from the limited-edition One-77. When compared with other V-12 sports cars in its pricing stratosphere, the DBS always seemed underpowered. Now, with 565 horses, the Vanquish…still seems underpowered. The Lamborghini Aventador has 691 hp. The Ferrari F12’s 730 beats Aston’s output by 165 horses. At least Aston’s flagship is no longer outmuscled by BMW’s SUVs. Nonetheless, we estimate the Vanquish should hit 60 mph in 4.0 seconds, which, if well off the pace of today’s hottest smart-phone wallpapers, does minimize the risk of being embarrassed by Mustangs and Camaros.

And Aston’s V-12 is a thing of aural beauty; a sharp bark on startup and a guttural swell to redline can almost make you forget that Ferrari’s V-12 GT has 29 percent more power. Almost. Twenty-nine percent is a lot. Classic Car Hire World Car Hire Rental - Aston Martin - Vanquish For Hire click here to go to Imagine Lifestyles of Chicago The car was largely unchanged until 2005, when the Vanquish S model debuted at the 2004 Paris Auto Show , with more power, slight styling revisions, and new wheels. It also incorporated the features of a 2004 option package, the Sports Dynamic Pack, which incorporated sportier suspension, steering, and brake features. This model was sold for the 2005 (alongside the base Vanquish) and 2006 (as a stand-alone) model years in the United States with only minor running changes; it was not sold in the States for 2007. The end of the Vanquish's production run was celebrated with the Vanquish Ultimate Edition.

Aston Martin announced that the last 40 cars built would have a new 'Ultimate Black exterior color, upgraded interior, and personalized sill plaques. More significantly, the Ultimate Edition was the first Vanquish to be offered with a conventional stick-shift manual transmission. The auto-shift manual gearbox in the original Vanquish has been widely criticized (perhaps most infamously by Jeremy Clarkson on the BBC's Top Gear program), so this change was greeted with approval by the automotive press. Aston Martin offered to retrofit the new gearbox to any Vanquish, for a cost of £13,250. Aston Martin was frequently rumoured to be considering a roadster version of the Vanquish, especially in response to the Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, but no such version ever emerged. The Vanquish was the basis of two concept cars, both shown at the International Geneva Motor Show in 2004, the Zagato Roadster (a 2-seat roadster) and the Bertone Jet 2 (a 2-door shooting brake).

Vanquish production ended on 19 July 2007, coinciding with the shutting of the company's Newport Pagnell factory after 49 years of operation. Aston Martin Will Build The Stunning Vanquish Zagato Aston Martin Will Build The Stunning Vanquish Zagato If you want one, act quick, since only 99 are slated for production. Most Popular By Chris Perkins Jun 21, 2016 You really thought there was a chance that Aston Martin wouldn't put the Vanquish Zagato Concept into production? It was pretty obvious that this was a Concept in name only. Even Aston CEO Andy Palmer couldn't help but tweet a very thinly veiled hint that this Zagato-designed Vanquish would hit production just days after its debut at the Villa D'Este Concours. All we had to do was wait for official word from the company. Aston Martin Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Now, that word has come as Aston has just announced that it'll build 99 examples of the Vanquish Zagato each "made to order" in its UK factory.

The company also took this as an opportunity to release new pictures of the car and somehow, they're even better than the studio shots taken when the car was first unveiled. We forgive you if you're drooling. Aston Martin Most Popular In a press release, Aston Martin said the Vanquish Zagato's design will remain "closely related" to that of the concept car. The bodywork is made entirely out of carbon fiber and the Vanquish's 6.0-liter V12 will be massaged to produce 576 bhp. Aston will even develop a unique suspension tune for the Vanquish Zagato rather than leave the stock Vanquish's suspension unchanged. Aston Martin With a new Vanquish on its way in the next couple of years, this is likely the send-off to the old car, and it's one hell of a tribute. Aston Martin Aston Martin Vanquish Reviews - Aston Martin Vanquish Price, Photos, and Specs - Car and Driver TWEET The dinosaurs didn’t know extinction was coming. They carried on romping and stomping as the sky turned to fire and that meteor took out much of Mexico.

In a similar vein, we doubt anyone at Aston Martin has been brave enough to tell the venerable Vanquish that it’s living at the far end of an overdraft of borrowed time. This is a car that sits on an architecture that already has been replaced and which is still powered by the gloriously anachronistic naturally aspirated V-12 that Aston has been using for nearly two decades. But while the new, turbocharged DB11 is an empirically better car by almost any metric you choose to employ, it can’t match the exclusivity of Aston’s range-topper. Buyers who opt for the Vanquish will have to find an extra $80,000 to get a car with less equipment and less power than its supposedly junior sister DB11, which costs “only” $214,820. But they will find themselves at the pinnacle of Mount Aston. It’s impossible not to see the continued appeal of this grandest of grand tourers, a car that makes a Bentley Continental GT look like something bought at Sears. Now, the Vanquish has been given a final freshening and the deployment of the S badges that Aston reserves for its ultimate incarnations.

The Vanquish S gets more power, although the increase must be well within the margin of variation of the non-S’s engine. A fractionally freer-flowing intake system aims to sharpen the top end in the 5.9-liter V-12 and takes the output rating up 12 horsepower to 580 hp—still 20 horses less than the new twin-turbocharged V-12 in the DB11. Strangely, Aston claims a higher, 595-hp output for the engine in European spec, although it says the engine is in the same state of tune and offers no other explanation. Close to Screaming None of this really matters. The Vanquish continues to have a naturally aspirated Aston Martin V-12 that is one of the finest engines in the world. It’s special from the moment it fires into noisy life with a leonine snarl; most automakers who still produce V-12s tune them to sound soft and creamy, but the Vanquish S’s engine is loud and often angry.

Its character shifts with both revs and load, sometimes yowling and sometimes—when closing in on its 7000-rpm limiter—close to screaming. Yet it doesn’t quite manage to deliver a corresponding amount of fury. The Aston is certainly fast. The company claims a 201-mph top speed and a 3.5-second zero-to-62-mph time, 0.3 second brisker than the stated acceleration time for the non-S Vanquish ( the last standard Vanquish we tested sprinted to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds). Yet it lacks the almost instant low-down urge that comes from turbocharging, which many similarly priced competitors now deliver. The big engine pulls cleanly at low rpm, but it needs to be worked hard to truly deliver, and Aston claims that power peaks right at the 7000-rpm redline, 350 rpm higher than in the standard Vanquish. The upside of natural aspiration is that throttle response remains scintillating and the standard eight-speed ZF autobox has been retuned to shift with more aggression.

Changes made to the Vanquish S’s chassis, although modest, have had a greater—and counterintuitive—effect. Spring rates have been stiffened by 10 percent (these on top of the 10 percent increase the Vanquish was given in 2015), and there’s also a brawnier rear anti-roll bar and firmer suspension bushings. Yet expectations that this toughening will increase the hardness of the Aston’s core seem off the mark: It actually feels noticeably more compliant than before, riding out bumps and rougher road surfaces with impressive disdain. We’re told the broadened bandwidth should be mostly credited to a smarter algorithm controlling the Bilstein adaptive dampers, allowing them to react more quickly. Still Big But Nimbler The Vanquish S still feels big, but it can be hustled at an impressive pace thanks to high grip levels and accurate steering responses, which have also benefited from the suspension sharpening. The steering has gained some weight over the non-S Vanquish, although with no loss in feel; we’re still not keen on the squared-off steering wheel, though—what’s wrong with round?

Driving on cold and greasy English roads revealed another advantage of the engine’s relative lack of low-down torque—the Vanquish manages to find impressive traction where turbo rivals would be battling their traction-control systems. Aerodynamic modifications have also reduced front-end lift at speed—Aston says this falls from 146 pounds to 40 when traveling at 150 mph. We had no chance to confirm this. Inside, the hand-finished cabin continues pretty much as before, with beautiful materials and elegant design mostly distracting occupants from the reality that there really isn’t very much to play with. Aston’s aged VH architecture means that plenty of the stuff you’d find on a mainstream car costing a tenth of the sticker on a Vanquish S just isn’t there. There’s no adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring, or automated emergency braking. Would James Bond care? Also, the navigation system has been upgraded from the dreadful 2005-ish Volvo system that Aston previously used to something that could be accurately described as half-decent. Trying to quantify the Vanquish S by rational criteria is an exercise doomed to failure. It is more expensive than the DB11 but is also much less spacious, slower, and with much less equipment.

Offered in the coupe form we drove ($297,775) and also as a convertible Volante ($315,775) that we haven’t experienced yet, it’s due in dealerships come April. It is still hugely desirable and the car perhaps sticks closest to the values that made Aston great. We will miss it when it departs, but the grand old dame is going out in style. How Its Made Dream Cars " Aston Martin Vanquish" - YouTube How Its Made Dream Cars " Aston Martin Vanquish" Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Jun 1, 2015 Category Car Review: 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe | Driving The 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe navigates the twisty sea-side roads in Inverness, Scotland.

Handout, Aston Martin With 568 horses under the hood, the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe races from zero-to-60-mph (97 km/h) in just 3.6 seconds. Brian Harper, Driving 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe Handout, Aston Martin At take-off, the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe's 6.0-litre V12 engine produces a war-like whoop. Brian Harper, Driving 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe Brian Harper, Driving 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe Brian Harper, Driving 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe Brian Harper, Driving The new Aston Martin Vanquish will cost you $301,300 for the Coupe version and $320,800 for the Volante droptop.

Brian Harper, Driving 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe Brian Harper, Driving 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe Handout, Aston Martin The road leading northeast from Dundonnell along the shoreline of Little Loch Broom in Scotland made for some twisty, winding roads, which was easy work for the Aston Martin. Handout, Aston Martin 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe Handout, Aston Martin 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S Brian Harper, Driving 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S Brian Harper, Driving 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S Brian Harper, Driving 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S Brian Harper, Driving Aston's flagship supercar is faster and still stunningly beautiful – but it's now more environmentally conscious, too by Brian Harper | August 5, 2014 Small Medium Large INVERNESS, Scotland — The road leading northeast from Dundonnell along the shoreline of Little Loch Broom rose in the distance before us, twisting and curving in a series of sweeping bends, beckoning us to misbehave. Weak of willpower, my driving partner obliged.

I, navigating us through this portion of the Scottish Highlands — and at an age that should inure me to such moments of infirmity — said nothing. I understood. It was a confluence of perfection; the tarmac ahead and the car we were in, Aston Martin’s tweaked-for-2015 Vanquish sports car, V12 just waiting for the prod of the throttle and the flick of the paddle shifter to unleash 568 horsepower in an exhaust-tuned aria that would make motor heads of all ages weep with joy. Restoring old Aston Martins is painstaking work The lad released the ponies and the next 20 kilometres or so were covered in a span of time considerably shorter than what a legal speed would indicate. The grip afforded by the meaty Pirelli P Zero in the fast sweepers more than held up its end of the bargain, gluing Aston’s flagship Vanquish to the intended line without a scintilla of betrayal. The shifts, taking no more than 130 milliseconds with each nudge of the paddle, showcased the car’s newest, most dominant change from last year’s model, a ZF eight-speed transaxle that replaces the six-speed unit.

As a small independent automaker, Aston hasn’t the resources for frippery. The money earmarked for improvements to the Vanquish — and the Rapide S, its four-door sibling — were spent where it would do the most good, mechanical upgrades that would make the sports car better, faster, more fuel efficient and less harmful to the ozone layer. It’s not that the Vanquish is in need of a styling update anyway; it remains one of the most stunning examples of exotic machinery, its curves as sensuous as the zaftig women gracing a Rubens painting, with a “face” that demands respect. Even the one major cosmetic upgrade, new 10-spoke forged alloy wheels, serve a purpose beyond enhancing the car’s looks — they save almost seven kilograms in weight versus the standard wheel. Nor does the Vanquish need more power or a faster acceleration time, either. Yet, these it got, thanks to the new transmission and final drive ratios, along with upgrades to the Bosch engine management system and a reduction in exhaust gas back pressure.

As a result, zero-to-60-mph (97 km/h) times drop by half a second, to a light-the-fuse-and-hold-on 3.6 seconds. This, says Aston Martin, makes this Vanquish the quickest accelerating production car in the company’s history. 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe And the sound that only this 6.0-litre V12 can trumpet, a war-like whoop that lingers in the air long after the car has rocketed off into the distance. The added three horsepower that comes with the changes ups the car’s top end to a stratospheric 326.7 kilometres an hour. A word of warning for those who hold Aston Martin near and dear to their hearts, though: Enjoy this engine while you can. With the recent inked deal that will have Mercedes-AMG supplying engines (and other technologies), a large-displacement naturally aspirated V12 for the bespoke sports car maker is not a guaranteed thing for products further along in the pipeline. As for those with a green conscience, take heart in the fact that the changes making the Vanquish faster also make it more fuel efficient and less polluting.

Aston Martin claims that the car’s CO2 emissions drop by an average of 10%, while economy shows an 11% improvement on the European Union’s extra-urban cycle. Admittedly, much of the day with the car was spent in Sport mode using up a quantity of North Sea crude, but every stab of the throttle also tested brakes and suspension as speed had to be scrubbed for the myriad twists and bends that followed each straight. Here, too, the Vanquish proved it was more than up for the challenge. With larger, 400-millimetre front brakes and a suspension up-rated with stiffer shocks and retuned bushings, the car’s poise in corners made heroes out of ordinary drivers. With 568 horses under the hood, the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe races from zero-to-60-mph (97 km/h) in just 3.6 seconds. So, too, the new transmission with its “paddle shift” and “paddle shift sport” options for greater driving involvement, as well as Adaptive Drive Recognition that tailors shift points to a driver’s individual style.

Naturally, not every outing in a $300K sports car ($301,300 for the Coupe, $320,800 for the Volante droptop) is an invitation to explore one’s inner scofflaw. Sometimes its enough to tootle about under more social conditions, mingling with the regulars and allowing them to gaze upon the wonder of automotive engineering that is in their midst as well as acknowledge the obvious excellent taste and good breeding of the person driving it. And the Vanquish proved it was no high-strung stallion in this situation as we worked our way through Inverness’s roundabouts, over its bridges and along shop-lined streets and residential districts. If it wasn’t the car’s presence that caused the more appreciative to stare and point or give a hearty thumb’s up, it was the angry bark and crackle from its exhaust that did the trick. At take-off, the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish Coupe’s 6.0-litre V12 engine produces a war-like whoop. The interior, serious in its exotic sports car intent with the proper gauges and high-end materials, offers two very supportive and comfy seats for the front occupants.

Not so much the rear seats, which will be better served as repositories for small pets or grocery bags. There were few other niggling issues as well — tire noise is pronounced at higher speeds, as is wind whistle over the outside mirrors. The Vanquish’s thick A-pillars are a detriment to visibility when making turns and the glare off the windshield from the centre stack’s shiny carbon-fibre trim is annoying. OK, so $300,000 still doesn’t guarantee perfection; I doubt these matters will dissuade any serious aficionado of high-powered, four-wheel exotica. Last year, Aston Martin celebrated its centenary. Considering the number of times over those 100 years the company was on the brink of extinction, the fact it has managed to survive and, for now, thrive, shows it continues to build the type of cars people of means are proud to own. The revamped Vanquish, Aston’s flagship production model, showcases an excellent start to the beginning of the company’s second century.

First drive: 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S Give Aston Martin the credit it is surely due; it makes the most achingly beautiful sports cars, whether two-door or four. So, with an infusion of cash to spend on upgrading its model lineup, it didn’t have to waste it on freshening the exterior. Instead, it put the money to where it did the most good — engineering changes to key mechanical components. For the 2015 model year, the modifications to the Rapide S pretty much mirror those made to the Vanquish sports car. That means a new and lighter ZF Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic transaxle — replacing the old six-speed — a stiffened suspension, larger front brakes and a new Bosch engine management system to deliver more precise communication between the car’s thundering 6.0-litre V12 and the gearbox.

In the words of Marek Reichman, the company’s chief of design, the changes add a more “spirited edge” to the Rapide’s already acknowledged luxuriousness — surely one of the most understated descriptors for a four-door sports car that, says the British automaker, can now exceed 200 miles an hour (322 km/h). It handles as well as it goes, too, as spirited driving along the shoreline of Loch Ness and on to country roads bisecting farm villages attested. Beneath its Savile Row-like exterior is an athlete waiting to be exercised. That the Rapide is lovely, there can be no argument; it makes similar models out of Germany look as though they were designed by near-sighted trolls. Stunning lines, however, don’t make up the fact that rear-seat entry into the car requires the contortions of a gymnast and that legroom comes at a premium. 2015 Aston Martin Rapide S Front-seat passengers will be able to better appreciate a cabin that is a hedonist’s delight, one that now has new leather trim colour options, including the contemporary blue/black Dark Knight and bold Fandango Pink.

The car can also be swathed in optional new Duotone leather seat finish in Sahara Tan and Vibrant Red, as well as new headliner options that mix quilting with fine leathers or Alcantara. Want something more extreme? Being bespoke does have its advantages. Bound only by the limits of imagination — and the bank account to back it up — customers can have their cars fully personalized by Aston Martin’s Q department with colours and materials and modifications. As the brochure says: “No detail or request is too specific for our expert team.” Aston Martin Vanquish S | Classic Driver Magazine Aston Martin Vanquish S Library Five years on from its launch, and set against a backdrop of new models from Astons, the Vanquish still represents the point where old meets new. The fastest production model ever to be built by the company, the Vanquish S is still hand-crafted in Newport Pagnell, and if anyone asks the question "How can you justify the extra money over the excellent DB9?", a few days behind the wheel will soon reveal the answer.

Not exactly a familiar sight on the roads (the company has built around 1,500 cars in total since 2001), the revisions made to the Vanquish in September 2004 served not only to make the visual impact that much more dramatic via subtle changes to the rear bootlid, front ‘splitter’ and grille, but also to create ‘clear water’ between the flagship model and the recently introduced DB9 by way of an enhanced driving experience with an extra 60 Hp and myriad suspension changes under the banner; ‘Sports Dynamics’. Being both a touch shorter and wider than a DB9, as well as a little higher, the car has a more muscular mien, more prizefighter than athlete, and yet exhibiting a balanced elegance in overall styling that the DB7 - with its long, flat silhouette and cramped cabin - somehow lacked. The extra splitter and curving grille add to the blend of functionality and highly-charged emotional form. From the front it presents one of the most dramatic aspects on the road today. Inside the car it’s a more traditional cabin than the avant-garde DB9.

Like all Astons the ultimate specification is down to the purchaser, and our Press car was fitted with an all-black leather facia, dashboard and steering wheel, with red inserts in the door trim and seats. The controls are simple to use, the dials and warning lights kept to a minimum. And if some of the switchgear is sourced from outside Newport Pagnell well, it’s a switch and it works, so what? The company’s CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez says "The Vanquish S V12 is a combination of state-of-the-art aerospace technology and hand craftsmanship" and you can see that from the way the cabin is laid out, but the reality of it all is that the technology is mainly invisible but provides one of the best driving experiences out there - as we shall soon see. "You’ll like this" said Astons’ delivery team as the Toro Red car was unloaded from the transporter. With the DB9 driven last November fresh in my mind (not to mention an enthusiasm for the Magneti Marelli-actuated six-speed transaxle similar to that installed in current Ferraris we also tested last year), it was a simple task to turn the key and press the clear ‘Start’ button.

DB9s and their ilk may have ‘Power, Beauty and Soul’ graphics and colour displays but the Vanquish S communicates in the old-fashioned way - simply a mighty growl as the motor springs to life. This is best achieved with a window down or door open, and the effect is all the more impressive from cold after a night outside. Clicking back the right-hand paddle to engage first gear and releasing the fly-off handbrake, the car moves forward with a delicacy belying its tarmac-melting specification. The way the big car can be just pushed along at normal speeds is extraordinary given its ultimate performance, and the engine noise that is so prevalent outside the car can be heard inside the cabin - but has none of the engineered rasp of the DB9 and V8 Vantage. Give the motor a little more head and the sound develops into a proper racing V12 howl worthy of a Ferrari Enzo, and anything above 3,500 all the way to the 7,000 red line produces effortless, creamy acceleration of the finest 12-cylinder kind.

The gearchange is one of the few dynamic areas of the car that has been left alone in the ‘S’ version (different suspension, bigger brakes, revised steering, shortened final drive and the additional 60 HP), and the reason’s obvious - on the open road its precision and speed will beat a paddle-actuated conventional auto any day of the week. Like all these ‘boxes though, their ‘auto’ function is best left alone. Like the DB9, the ultra-stiff hi-tech aluminium chassis allows the revised suspension to work in the best possible fashion. Cornering is flat, bumps are ironed out and only low speed rough roads will delineate the flagship model from its gentler brethren. In short, it’s as good as the recently-departed 575M Maranello - and looks better to boot. And it’ll carry a good few days luggage for touring with a reasonable trunk, with the rear seats (an option that makes the interior more balanced, if not more practical, although we did origami in a 17 year old daughter for a brief lunch out) employed for squashy luggage.

But don't expect to make that a very long trip without adequate access to the petrol pumps, its thirst is commensurate with its performance but it's the surprisingly small (80 litres) fuel tank that will mean extra stops on the way. Aston Martin are committed to continue making the Vanquish S "For as long as there is demand". That means a nine month wait at the moment, and remember the successor will be made at Gaydon, so this could very well be the last production Aston made at Newport Pagnell. The DB9 driven last year was a wonderful car, but for all its excellence I came away from the experience wanting a little more. I think I may have found it. The Aston Martin Vanquish S, with 2+0 or 2+2 seating, has a base price in the UK of £177,100. Standard equipment includes the tremendous Linn Audio 1200W 13 speaker, 13-channel system with six CD autochanger, as well as tyre pressure sensing system, automatic rain sensing wiper operation, automatic headlamp operation, auto dimming rear view mirror, trip computer, Satellite Navigation system.

Additional options include: - Front wheel stone guards (£255) - Heated front screen (£295) - fitted to the test car - Aluminium trim steering wheel (£295) - Colour keyed leather trim steering wheel (£NCO) - Chrome door handles (£NCO) About Aston Martin Email Save Born in England, Aston Martin makes cars that place equal emphasis on high-thrill performance and discreet British elegance. The manufacturer's lineup is small and highly specialized; you'll only find sports cars on the Aston Martin roster. Still, the brand has made an incredible name for itself, and is known worldwide as... Read more Aston Martin history Born in England, Aston Martin makes cars that place equal emphasis on high-thrill performance and discreet British elegance. The manufacturer's lineup is small and highly specialized; you'll only find sports cars on the Aston Martin roster. Still, the brand has made an incredible name for itself, and is known worldwide as a purveyor of sleek, top-of-the-line, road-hugging machinery. Founders Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford started Aston Martin in 1914. The two had seen some success selling Singer racing cars, but wanted to craft their own vehicles, with an emphasis on sophistication and refinement.

The brand took its name from co-founder Martin and the Aston Clinton Hill Climb, where the duo's Singer cars had competed. Originally, Aston Martin was known chiefly in racing circles. By the 1920s, the brand had made its first appearance overseas, participating in the French Grand Prix; it also participated in the Le Mans 24-hour race. The marque saw its share of financial difficulties during the '20s and '30s, undergoing numerous changes in ownership. Still, it made a name for itself with popular racing cars like the streamlined 1934 Ulster. The postwar years saw the brand change hands once again. Aston Martin was sold to David Brown, an industrialist with a successful tractor company. After purchasing the company in 1947, he set his sights on developing new models. The first was the DB1 (named after his own initials), introduced in 1948. It was soon followed by the DB2 and DB3. The 1950s saw Aston Martin establishing itself as a winner on the track, with the DB2 placing in its class at Le Mans.

As the decade drew to a close, the brand had launched yet another model -- the DB4 -- and scored wins at the World Sports Car Championship, the N&uuml;rburgring and the RAC Tourist Trophy. During the 1960s, Aston Martin began production on the DB5. The low-slung coupe looked glamorous enough to be in the movies, and soon it was; the DB5 was the vehicle of choice for Sean Connery's James Bond in 1964's Goldfinger. By the time the '60s came to a close, the Aston Martin family had grown to include the DB6 (which stands as the first four-seater produced by the marque) and DBS V8. The 1970s were a rough decade for Aston Martin. The brand was sold by David Brown in 1972, and then once again was passed from owner to owner. Still, a new model, the V8 Vantage, was launched in 1977. Ten years later, Ford Motor Company purchased Aston Martin and invested millions in research and development in hopes of restoring the brand to its former glory.

By the 1990s, Ford's considerable efforts had begun to pay off. The handsome DB7 debuted mid-decade and was a hit with both critics and buyers. Aston Martin's fortunes continued to soar in the 2000s, with the launch of the successful V12 Vanquish, the DB9 and the V8 Vantage. Still, subsequent financial trouble at Ford led to the sale of Aston Martin in 2007 to a group of investors, which include a pair of Kuwaiti investment companies. Aston's recent models include the exotic DBS (a more muscular version of the DB9), the four-door, four-seat Rapide, the Virage (which slots in between the DB9 and DBS) and a pair of ultra-low-production sports cars — the V12 Zagato (named after the design house that penned its body) and the One-77 (only 77 produced with a price of nearly $2 million each). As you'd guess by now, the current Aston Martin lineup comprises some of the world's most desirable cars. Hide Aston Martin History

Question: Which car company made the Vanquish
Answer: Aston Martin